Conventionally, system startup in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer is executed under the control of a basic program called BIOS. In the startup under the BIOS, the OS is called after anomaly diagnosis and initialization of each device using a test program called POST (power-on self test) is carried out, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-2000-298579.
To carry out setting of this BIOS, a predetermined key provided on a keyboard as a peripheral device is pressed in a POST screen that appears immediately after power is turned on, as in a personal computer. Accordingly, a BIOS setup program is executed and a screen for setting up the BIOS is displayed on a display unit.
Recently, also in an information processing apparatus used for a specific purpose such as a POS (point of sales) terminal used for accounting in a retail store, startup of a system is executed under the control of a BIOS, as in a personal computer, and anomaly diagnosis and initialization of each device and calling of OS are carried out.
Some of such information processing apparatuses do not have a keyboard as an input device and are dependent on a display with a touch panel for operator's operation input. In order to set up the BIOS for the information processing apparatus of this type, a mechanical keyboard is connected to a communication interface such as a peripheral device connection port provided in the apparatus and a predetermined key is pressed as described above. Thus, a BIOS setup screen is displayed.
However, when BIOS setup is urgently needed, it takes considerable time to complete setting unless a dedicated keyboard is prepared. Therefore, there is a probability that the POS terminal cannot be used for sales services, causing a significant delay in dealing with customers.
Also, since the POS terminal handles highly confidential information including sales information of the store and customer information and is used in a store which unspecified people come in and out, security must be enhanced with respect to the setting of great importance such as BIOS setup.
However, it cannot be said that the security measures are sufficient as long as the BIOS setup screen is displayed via a simple keyboard operation as in an ordinary personal computer.